Semiconductor Devices and Methods of Manufacture Thereof

ABSTRACT

Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In some embodiments, a semiconductor device includes a first integrated circuit die, a second integrated circuit die coupled to the first integrated circuit die, and a through-via coupled between a first conductive feature of the first integrated circuit die and second conductive feature of the second integrated circuit die. A conductive shield is disposed around a portion of the through-via.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic applications, such as personal computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and other electronic equipment. The semiconductor industry continues to improve the integration density of various electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.) by continual reductions in minimum feature size, which allow more components to be integrated into a given area. As the demand for miniaturization, higher speed and greater bandwidth, as well as lower power consumption and latency has grown recently, there has grown a need for smaller and more creative packaging techniques for semiconductor dies.

As semiconductor technologies further advance, stacked semiconductor devices, e.g., three-dimensional integrated circuits (3DICs), have emerged as an effective alternative to further reduce the physical size of a semiconductor device. In a stacked semiconductor device, active circuits such as logic, memory, processor circuits and the like are fabricated on different semiconductor wafers. Two or more semiconductor wafers may be installed or stacked on top of one another to further reduce the form factor of the semiconductor device.

Two semiconductor wafers and/or dies may be bonded together through suitable bonding techniques. The commonly used bonding techniques include direct bonding, chemically activated bonding, plasma activated bonding, anodic bonding, eutectic bonding, glass frit bonding, adhesive bonding, thermo-compressive bonding, reactive bonding and/or the like. An electrical connection may be provided between the stacked semiconductor wafers. The stacked semiconductor devices may provide a higher density with smaller form factors and allow for increased performance and lower power consumption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is noted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of semiconductor devices that are bonded together in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 3 through 7 and 10 through 15 illustrate cross-sectional views of a manufacturing process at various stages wherein the semiconductor devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are bonded together and through-vias are formed between conductive features of the two semiconductor devices in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are top views of the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 7 in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 16 through 18 are perspective views of bonded semiconductor devices in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart that illustrates a manufacturing method for a semiconductor device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed between the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices and structures thereof are disclosed in the present disclosure. Semiconductor devices such as integrated circuit dies and/or semiconductor wafers are coupled and/or bonded together, forming 3DICs in some embodiments. Through-vias are formed in the bonded semiconductor devices that provide vertical electrical connections for the 3DICs. The through-vias are protected by a conductive shield that encircles at least a portion of the through-vias. The conductive shield is coupled to a substrate of one of the integrated circuit dies and/or wafers in some embodiments. The conductive shield provides a grounding electrical path to the substrate and provides electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection in some embodiments. Throughout the various views and illustrative embodiments, like reference numerals are used to designate like elements.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of first and second semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b, respectively, which are bonded together in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring first to FIG. 1, a first semiconductor device 102 a is provided. The first semiconductor device 102 a comprises an integrated circuit die or a semiconductor wafer that includes a plurality of integrated circuit dies in some embodiments. A plurality of the first semiconductor devices 102 a comprising integrated circuit dies that have been singulated from wafer form may also be provided.

The first semiconductor device 102 a includes a substrate 104 a. The substrate 104 a is also referred to herein as a first substrate. The substrate 104 a may comprise a silicon wafer, a silicon carbon substrate, a silicon germanium substrate, or a substrate formed of other semiconductor materials, a bulk substrate, a silicon-on-wafer (SOI) substrate, or other supporting substrate (i.e., quartz, glass, etc., as are known in the art), or combinations thereof. The substrate 104 a may include one or more insulating materials 116 disposed on a surface thereof, e.g., over the top surface in the view shown in FIG. 1. The insulating material 116 may comprise one or more layers of SiO₂ or other insulating materials.

The substrate 104 a comprises circuitry 112 a that includes active device layer(s) formed over and/or within the substrate 104 a in a front-end-of-line (FEOL) stage of a manufacturing process or other type of process in some embodiments, for example. The first semiconductor device 102 a is inverted in the view shown in the drawings; typically, the circuitry 112 a is formed over a top surface of the substrate 104 a. For example, the circuitry 112 a is illustrated disposed beneath a lower portion of the substrate 104 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a in the view shown in FIG. 1.

The circuitry 112 a may comprise any type of circuitry suitable for a particular application. The circuitry 112 a may comprise one or more electrical or electronic devices. For example, the circuitry 112 a may include various N-type metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS) and/or P-type metal-oxide semiconductor (PMOS) devices, such as transistors, capacitors, resistors, diodes, photo-diodes, fuses, and the like, that are interconnected to perform one or more functions. The functions of the circuitry 112 a may include memory structures, logic structures, processing structures, sensors, amplifiers, power distribution or management, input/output circuitry, active or passive devices, radio frequency (RF) devices, analog or digital devices, and/or the like. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the above examples are provided for illustrative purposes to further explain applications of some illustrative embodiments and are not meant to limit the disclosure in any manner. The first semiconductor device 102 a may also comprise other circuitry 112 a as appropriate for a given application.

In some embodiments, a passivation layer 106 a is disposed over the substrate 104 a (i.e., beneath the substrate 104 a in the inverted view shown in FIG. 1) before the formation of the circuitry 112 a. The passivation layer 106 a may comprise one or more insulating material layers, such as SiO₂, SiN, or the like. In some embodiments, the passivation layer 106 a may comprise a first layer of SiO₂ comprising a thickness of about 2,000 Angstroms to about 12,000 Angstroms, a layer of SiN comprising a thickness of about 500 Angstroms to about 1,000 Angstroms disposed over the first layer of SiO₂, and a second layer of SiO₂ comprising a thickness of about 2,000 Angstroms to about 12,000 Angstroms disposed over the layer of SiN, as an example. The SiO₂ layers and SiN layer may be formed using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or other methods, for example. The passivation layer 106 a may also comprise other materials and dimensions. In some embodiments, the passivation layer 106 a is not included, and the circuitry 112 a is formed directly over and/or within the substrate 104 a.

An interconnect structure is formed over the substrate 104 a, e.g., over the circuitry 112 a (i.e., beneath the substrate 104 a in the inverted view shown in FIG. 1). The interconnect structure may be formed in a back-end-of-line (BEOL) stage of a manufacturing process, for example. The interconnect structure comprises a plurality of conductive features 108 a, a plurality of conductive lines 118 (shown in phantom, e.g., in dashed lines in FIG. 1), and/or a plurality of conductive vias 119 (also shown in phantom in FIG. 1) disposed within a plurality of insulating material layers 110 a. The interconnect structure may comprise inter-layer dielectrics (ILD), inter-metallization dielectric (IMD) layers, or inter-metal layers, as examples. For example, the plurality of insulating material layers 110 a may be formed of a low-K dielectric material, such as phosphosilicate glass (PSG), borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), fluorosilicate glass (FSG), SiO_(x)C_(y), undoped silicate glass (USG), spin-on-glass, spin-on-polymers, silicon carbon material, compounds thereof, composites thereof, other materials, combinations or multiple layers thereof, or the like, formed using any suitable methods known in the art, such as spinning, CVD, and plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD).

The plurality of conductive features 108 a, plurality of conductive lines 118, and/or plurality of conductive vias 119 of the interconnect structure connect various circuitry 112 a such as passive and active components formed in and on the substrate 104 a to one another and to external components. The interconnect structure may include, for instance, one or more layers of conductive traces vertically interconnected by vias (not shown) embedded within dielectric layers that are formed using damascene processes or subtractive etch techniques. The interconnect structure including the plurality of conductive features 108 a, plurality of conductive lines 118, and/or plurality of conductive vias 119 and the plurality of insulating material layers 110 a may comprise an overall thickness of about 1 μm to about 10 μm, for example. The interconnect structure may also comprise other dimensions.

Regardless of the number of layers of the interconnect structure, the first semiconductor device 102 a includes a top interconnect layer that includes conductive features 108 a. The plurality of conductive features 108 a, plurality of conductive lines 118, and/or plurality of conductive vias 119 may comprise conductive lines, traces, or plugs that comprise a conductive material such as copper, a copper alloy, or other metals or conductive materials. The conductive feature 108 a illustrated in FIG. 1 includes an opening 117 a in a substantially central region thereof in some embodiments. The conductive feature 108 a may be connected to other components or elements of the first semiconductor device 102 a by wiring within the interconnect structure, not shown. One conductive feature 108 a is illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 3 through 15; however, the first semiconductor device 102 a may comprise numerous conductive features 108 a in the top interconnect layer. The conductive features 108 a are also referred to herein as first conductive features.

A passivation layer 106 a′ comprising similar materials and dimensions as described for passivation layer 106 a is formed over (i.e., beneath in the view shown in FIG. 1) the plurality of conductive features 108 a in the top interconnect layer in some embodiments. In some embodiments, a passivation layer 106′ is not included.

The first semiconductor device 102 a includes an insulating material layer 114 a formed over (i.e., beneath in the view shown in FIG. 1) the passivation layer 106 a′, or over the plurality of conductive features 108 a in the top interconnect layer in some embodiments wherein the passivation layer 106 a′ is not included. The insulating material layer 114 a comprises a buried oxide (BOX) layer in some embodiments. The insulating material layer 114 a is also referred to herein as a first insulating material layer. The insulating material layer 114 a may comprise SiO₂ formed by CVD in some embodiments, for example. The insulating material layer 114 a may comprise a thickness of about 0.2 μm to about 3 μm, for example. The insulating material layer 114 a may also comprise other materials, dimensions, and formation methods.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a conductive shield 120 is disposed within the interconnect structure. The conductive shield 120 comprises a substantially ring-like shape in a top or bottom view of the first semiconductor device 102 a in some embodiments. The conductive shield 120 may also comprise other shapes. The conductive shield 120 includes an opening 117 b formed therein. The opening 117 b in the conductive shield 120 is also referred to herein as a first opening, and the opening 117 a in the conductive feature 108 a is also referred to herein as a second opening in some embodiments.

The conductive shield 120 is connected to the substrate 104 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a by wiring 122 within the insulating material layers 110 a of the interconnect structure. For example, wiring 122 including conductive lines 122 b and conductive vias 122 a may be coupled between the conductive shield 120 and a terminal 124 comprising a conductive material that is coupled to the substrate 104 a, in some embodiments. The terminal 124 may comprise a contact pad, conductive via, or conductive or semiconductive material plug in some embodiments, for example. The terminal 124 coupled to the substrate 104 a may also comprise other types of connections and materials.

The conductive shield 120 is advantageously formed in a conductive line 118 layer or a conductive via 119 layer of the interconnect structure. The pattern for the conductive shield 120 may be included in an existing lithography mask used for patterning a conductive line 118 layer or a conductive via 119 layer, for example. Likewise, the wiring 122 coupling the conductive shield 120 to the substrate 104 may also be included in conductive line 118 layers or conductive via 119 layers of the interconnect structure. Therefore, additional material layers and processing steps are not required to include the conductive shield 120 and wiring 122 in the first semiconductor device 102 a. The conductive shield 120 and wiring 122 comprise the same materials as the conductive lines 118, conductive vias 119, or conductive feature 108 a, such as copper, a copper alloy, or other metals or conductive materials, in some embodiments.

A portion of the conductive shield 120 may comprise a width comprising dimension d₁ on each side, wherein dimension d₁ comprises about 0.5 μm to about 3 μm in some embodiments. For example, the width of the portion of the conductive shield 120 comprising dimension d₁ on each side may comprise about 1.5 μm in some embodiments. The conductive shield 120 may comprise a thickness comprising dimension d₂ in some embodiments, wherein dimension d₂ comprises about 0.5 μm to about 3 μm in some embodiments. Dimensions d₁ and d₂ of the conductive shield 120 may also comprise other dimensions. Dimensions d₁ and d₂ of the conductive shield 120 are of a sufficient size so that the conductive shield 120 provides adequate ESD protection and/or plasma-induced damage (PID) protection for a subsequently formed through-via 150 (not shown in FIG. 1; see through-via 150 shown in FIG. 15) in some embodiments, for example.

Referring next to FIG. 2, a second semiconductor device 102 b is provided. The second semiconductor device 102 b comprises an integrated circuit die or a semiconductor wafer that includes a plurality of integrated circuit dies in some embodiments. A plurality of the second semiconductor devices 102 b that comprise integrated circuit dies that have been singulated from wafer form may also be provided. The second semiconductor device 102 b includes similar elements as described for first semiconductor device 102 a, and like numerals are used. Thus, the elements described for the first semiconductor device 102 a may be referred to for more detailed descriptions of the elements of the second semiconductor device 102 b.

The second semiconductor device 102 b includes a substrate 104 b which is also referred to herein as a second substrate. Circuitry 112 b is formed over or within the substrate 104 b, and an interconnect structure including insulating material layers 110 b and conductive features 108 b formed therein is formed over the circuitry 112 b. The conductive feature 108 b illustrated in FIG. 2 is also referred to herein as a first conductive feature. The interconnect structure may also include conductive line layers and conductive vias, as described for the interconnect structure of the first semiconductor device 102 a. A passivation layer 106 b may be formed over the interconnect structure, and an insulating material layer 114 b which may comprise a BOX layer is formed over the passivation layer 106 b. The insulating material layer 114 b is also referred to herein as a second insulating material layer. The passivation layer 106 b may not be included in some embodiments.

The interconnect structure of the second semiconductor device 102 b includes a top or uppermost interconnect layer that includes the conductive feature 108 b shown. The second semiconductor device 102 b may be, but need not necessarily be, the same type of device as the first semiconductor device 102 a, and the second semiconductor device 102 b may be manufactured using similar processes and may include similar structures and materials as the first semiconductor device 102 a. The second semiconductor device 102 b may also comprise a different type of device than the first semiconductor device 102 a, and the second semiconductor device 102 b may be manufactured using different processes, structures and materials.

FIGS. 3 through 7 and 10 through 15 are cross-sectional views that illustrate a manufacturing process at various stages, wherein the semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are bonded together and through-vias 150 are formed between the semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 3, an inverted first semiconductor device 102 a shown in FIG. 1 is coupled to a second semiconductor device 102 b and is bonded to the second semiconductor device 102 b. The first insulating material layer 114 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a is coupled to the second insulating material layer 114 b of the second semiconductor device 102 b using a glue or adhesive, or a dielectric-to-dielectric bond, such as an oxide-to-oxide bond. The first insulating material layer 114 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a may be coupled to the second insulating material layer 114 b of the second semiconductor device 102 b using fusion bonding, as an example. The first and second semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b may also be bonded together using other methods.

The bonded first and second semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b comprise a semiconductor device 100 that comprises a packaged semiconductor device or a 3DIC in some embodiments.

After the first and second semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b are bonded together, vertical electrical connections between the first and second semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b are formed. In some embodiments, a through-via 150 (see FIG. 15) is formed between each of the first conductive features 108 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a and a second conductive feature 108 b of the second semiconductor device 102 b, which will be shown and described further herein with reference to FIGS. 4 through 15.

The first and second semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b are patterned with a plurality of apertures for the through-vias 150 using a photolithography process or a direct patterning process. For example, to pattern the first and second semiconductor devices 102 a and 102 b using a photolithography process, a first layer of photoresist 130 is formed over the first semiconductor device 102 a, e.g., over the insulating material 116 or over the substrate 104 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a in some embodiments wherein the insulating material 116 is not included, as shown in FIG. 4. The first layer of photoresist 130 is then patterned with a desired pattern for through-vias of the semiconductor device 100, as shown in FIG. 5. The first layer of photoresist 130 may be patterned by exposing the first layer of photoresist 130 to light or energy reflected from or through a lithography mask having a desired pattern thereon, developing the first layer of photoresist 130, and removing exposed or unexposed portions (depending on whether the first layer of photoresist 130 is positive or negative) of the first layer of photoresist 130 using an ashing and/or etching process. The patterns in the first layer of photoresist 130 may comprise a circular, oval, square, rectangular, or other shapes in a top view. The patterned first layer of photoresist 130 is then used as an etch mask while portions of the substrate 106 are removing using an etch process 132, forming apertures 136, as shown in FIG. 6.

The etch process 132 may comprise a plasma etch process in some embodiments. The conductive shield 120 advantageously protects the semiconductor device 100 from ESD and/or PID 134 during the etch process 132 by providing an electrical connection to the substrate 104 a. The pattern of the first layer of photoresist 130 may be substantially the same size and shape as the conductive shield 120 in some embodiments. The pattern of the first layer of photoresist 130 may also comprise a width that is less than a width of the conductive shield 120 in some embodiments.

The etch process 132 results in the etching of insulating material 116, the substrate 104 a, the passivation layer 106 a, device layers of the circuitry 112 a, and the insulating material layers 110 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a above the conductive shield 120 with the pattern of the first layer of photoresist 130 having a width comprising dimension d₃. The etch process 132 also results in the etching of the insulating material layers 110 a within the opening 117 b of the conductive shield 120 and the insulating material layers 110 a below the conductive shield 120 and above the conductive feature 108 a with a pattern of the opening 117 a in the conductive shield 120 having a width comprising dimension d₄. The etch process 132 also results in the etching of the insulating material layers 114 a and 114 b and passivation layers 106 a′ and 106 b with a pattern of the opening 117 a of the conductive feature 108 a having a width comprising dimension d₅. Dimensions d₃, d₄, and d₅ may comprise about 0.5 μm to about 10 μm in some embodiments, for example. Dimensions d₃, d₄, and d₅ may also comprise other values.

In some embodiments, dimension d₃ is greater than dimension d₄, and dimension d₄ is greater than dimension d₅, resulting in an aperture 136 having an inverted tiered shape, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The shape of the aperture 136 may vary depending on the size of the opening 117 b in the conductive shield 120 and the opening 117 a in the conductive feature 108 a, for example. In some embodiments, dimensions d₃, d₄, and d₅ may be substantially the same, not shown.

The first layer of photoresist 130 is then removed, as shown in FIG. 7.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are top views of the semiconductor device 100 shown in FIG. 7 in accordance with some embodiments, which illustrate some exemplary shapes of the conductive shield 120 and other elements of the semiconductor device 100. In FIG. 8, the conductive shield 120 comprises a ring shape that is continuous. The ring shape of the conductive shield 120 may be circular or square, as illustrated in phantom at 120′. The ring shape of the conductive shield 120 may also comprise other shapes, such as oval, square, rectangular, or other shapes. In FIG. 8, the conductive shield 120 comprises a non-continuous ring shape. The conductive shield 120 partially or fully encircles the aperture 136 in which the through-via 150 will be formed in some embodiments, for example.

The terminal 124 is illustrated as circular in FIGS. 7 and 8: the terminal 124 may also comprise other shapes, such as oval, square, rectangular, or other shapes. A portion of the conductive feature 108 a and a portion of the conductive feature 108 b are visible in the top view of the semiconductor device 100 in some embodiments.

Referring next to FIG. 10, a liner 140 is formed over the semiconductor device 100, lining the aperture 136 and a top surface of the insulating material 116. The liner 140 comprises an oxide material such as SiO₂ or other insulating materials that is formed using CVD in some embodiments. The liner 140 comprises a thickness of about 0.05 μm to about 0.5 μm in some embodiments, for example. The liner 140 may also comprise other materials, formation methods, and dimensions. The liner 140 may be substantially conformal and have substantially the same topography as the topography of the underlying patterned material layers in some embodiments, as illustrated in FIG. 10. The liner 140 may also be non-conformal, not shown.

The liner 140 is removed from a lower portion of the aperture 136 in the semiconductor device 100, as shown in FIGS. 11 through 14. In FIG. 11, a second layer of photoresist 130′ is formed over the semiconductor device 100. The second layer of photoresist 130′ fills the aperture 136 over the liner 140 and extends over the top surface of the insulating material 116. The second layer of photoresist 130′ is patterned using a photolithography process, as shown in FIG. 12. The pattern in the second layer of photoresist 130′ may be substantially the same as the shape of the opening 117 a in the conductive feature 108 a in some embodiments. The pattern in the second layer of photoresist 130′ may be slightly larger than the opening 117 a in the conductive feature 108 a in some embodiments. The second layer of photoresist 130′ is left remaining on sidewalls of the opening 117 b in the conductive shield 120 in some embodiments.

The second layer of photoresist 130′ is then used as an etch mask during an etch process for the liner 140, as illustrated in FIG. 13, which removes the liner 140 from sidewalls of the opening 117 a in the conductive feature 108 a, sidewalls of the insulating material layers 114 a and 114 b, sidewalls of the passivation layers 106 a′ and 106 b, and the top surface of the conductive feature 108 b. The second layer of photoresist 130′ is removed, as shown in FIG. 14. The liner 140 is left remaining on sidewalls of the opening 117 b in the conductive shield 120 and upper portions of the aperture 136 above the conductive shield 120. The liner 140 is also left remaining on sidewalls of the insulating material layers 110 a above the conductive feature 108 a.

A conductive material 148 is deposited or formed over the semiconductor device 100, filling the aperture 136 and forming a conductive through-via 150, as illustrated in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 15. The conductive material 148 may be formed using atomic layer deposition (ALD) or electrochemical plating in some embodiments. The conductive material 148 may also be formed using other methods. The conductive material 148 may comprise copper, a copper alloy, or other metals or conductive materials, as examples.

As-deposited, the conductive material 148 may extend over a top surface of the semiconductor device 100, over the insulating material 116, as shown in phantom at 148′. Excess portions of the conductive material 148 may be removed from over the top surface of the semiconductor device 100 using a planarization process, such as a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process, grinding process, etch process, or combinations thereof. A portion of the insulating material 116 and/or the substrate 104 a may also be removed during the planarization process to remove the excess conductive material 148 in some embodiments. In some embodiments, a portion of the insulating material 116 and/or the substrate 104 a may not be removed during the planarization process to remove the excess conductive material 148.

Thus, a through-via 150 is formed that provides a vertical electrical connection between the conductive feature 108 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a and the conductive feature 108 b of the second semiconductor device 102 b. The conductive shield 120 is electrically isolated from the through-via 150 by the liner 140 and at least partially encircles the through-via 150. The through-via 150 comprises an upper portion having a width comprising dimension d₃′ within insulating material 116, the substrate 104 a, the passivation layer 106 a, device layers of the circuitry 112 a, and the insulating material layers 110 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a above the conductive shield 120, wherein dimension d₃′ comprises dimension d₃ shown in FIG. 6 less twice the thickness of the liner 140. The through-via 150 comprises a middle portion having a width comprising dimension d₄′ within the opening 117 b of the conductive shield 120 and the insulating material layers 110 a below the conductive shield 120 and above the conductive feature 108 a, wherein dimension d₄′ comprises dimension d₄ shown in FIG. 6 less twice the thickness of the liner 140. The through-via 150 comprises a lower portion having a width comprising dimension d₅ within the insulating material layers 114 a and 114 b and passivation layers 106 a′ and 106 b.

The through-via 150 extends through the opening 117 b (see FIG. 14) in the conductive shield 120. The through-via 150 also extends through the opening 117 a in the conductive feature 108 a. The through-via 150 terminates at the bottom at the top surface of the conductive feature 108 b. Forming the aperture 136 comprises forming an aperture 136 wherein a bottom of the aperture 136 is disposed on a surface of the conductive feature 108 b; thus, the bottom of the through-via 150 is adjacent the top surface of the conductive feature 108 b, for example. The electrical connection between the conductive feature 108 a and conductive feature 108 b is made by the through-via 150 being coupled to the top surface of the conductive feature 108 b and sidewalls of the conductive feature 108 a. Electrical connections may be made to the semiconductor device 100 by contacting the top surface of the through-via 150, such as by coupling connectors such as solder balls, or by forming wiring over the top surface of the semiconductor device 100, as examples.

FIGS. 16 through 18 are perspective views of semiconductor devices 100 in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 16, a first semiconductor device 102 a coupled to a second semiconductor device 102 b is shown, wherein the first semiconductor device 102 a and second semiconductor device 102 b comprise integrated circuit dies. A plurality of the through-vias 150 described herein are formed on the semiconductor device 100. One or more of the plurality of through-vias 150 may include a conductive shield 120 (not shown in FIG. 16; see FIG. 15) disposed around a portion of the through-vias 150 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 illustrates some embodiments wherein the first semiconductor device 102 a and second semiconductor device 102 b comprise wafers that include a plurality of integrated circuit dies. In FIG. 18, the first semiconductor device 102 a comprises an integrated circuit die, and the second semiconductor device 102 b comprises a wafer. A plurality of first semiconductor devices 102 a comprising integrated circuit dies may be bonded to a semiconductor device 102 b comprising a wafer in some embodiments, as shown at 102 a and in phantom at 102 a′. Likewise, one or more second semiconductor devices 102 b may be bonded to a first semiconductor device 102 a comprising a wafer in some embodiments, not shown. One or more of the plurality of through-vias 150 may include a conductive shield 120 disposed around a portion of the through-vias 150 in the configurations illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 16 through 18 also illustrate a plurality of through-vias 150 being formed between the first semiconductor devices 102 a and the second semiconductor devices 102 b. In some embodiments, a first semiconductor device 102 a may comprise a plurality of first conductive features 108 a, and the second semiconductor device 102 b may comprise a plurality of second conductive features 108 b. An aperture 136 may be formed between each of the plurality of first conductive features 108 a and one of the plurality of second conductive features 108 b in some embodiments. The apertures 136 are filled with the conductive material 148 to form a plurality of through-vias 150.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart 160 that illustrates a manufacturing method for a semiconductor device 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In step 162 of the flow chart 160, a first semiconductor device 102 a is coupled to a second semiconductor device 102 b, wherein the first semiconductor device 102 a includes a conductive shield 120 coupled to a substrate 104 a of the first semiconductor device 102 a (see also FIG. 3). In step 164, an aperture 136 is formed in the first semiconductor device 102 a and the second semiconductor device 102 b proximate the conductive shield 102 of the first semiconductor device 102 a (see also FIGS. 4 through 7). In step 166, the aperture 136 in the first semiconductor device 102 a and the second semiconductor device 102 b is filled with a conductive material 148 to form a through-via 150 (see also FIG. 15).

Some embodiments of the present disclosure include semiconductor devices 100 that include through-vias 150 that are shielded by a conductive shield 120 as described herein. Some embodiments of the present disclosure include methods of manufacturing the semiconductor devices 100 that include the shielded through-vias 150 described herein.

Some advantages of some embodiments of the present disclosure include providing semiconductor devices and 3DICs with improved yields. The conductive shield proximate the through-vias provides a conductive shielding which reduces a PID effect in the formation of the through-vias. The conductive shield provides an electrically conductive path which removes charge accumulation during a plasma etch process used to form apertures for the through-vias in some embodiments, for example. The conductive shield reduces or prevents PID during a plasma etch process used to form the aperture for the through-vias in some embodiments. The conductive shield provides a grounding electrical path to the substrate and provides ESD protection in some embodiments. The conductive shield may advantageously be formed in existing material layers of an interconnect structure of a first semiconductor device, such as conductive line layers or conductive via layers, so that additional material layers are not required. The conductive shield may also be formed when forming existing material layers of an interconnect structure of a first semiconductor device, so that no additional manufacturing steps are required to form the conductive shield.

The liner within an upper portion of the through-via provides insulating between the through-vias and the conductive shields. Some embodiments may be implemented in wafer-to-wafer, chip-to-chip, and chip-to-wafer bonding. Furthermore, the methods and devices described herein are easily implementable into existing semiconductor device manufacturing and/or packaging process flows and structures.

In some embodiments, a semiconductor device includes a first integrated circuit die, a second integrated circuit die coupled to the first integrated circuit die, and a through-via coupled between a first conductive feature of the first integrated circuit die and second conductive feature of the second integrated circuit die. A conductive shield is disposed around a portion of the through-via.

In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a device includes coupling a first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device, wherein the first semiconductor device includes a conductive shield coupled to a substrate of the first semiconductor device. An aperture is formed in the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device proximate the conductive shield of the first semiconductor device. The aperture in the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device is filled with a conductive material to form a through-via.

In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a device includes coupling a first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device includes a first substrate, a first conductive feature disposed over the first substrate, a first insulating material layer disposed over the first conductive feature, and a conductive shield coupled to the first substrate proximate the first conductive feature. The second semiconductor device includes a second substrate, a second conductive feature disposed over the second substrate, and a second insulating material layer disposed over the second conductive feature. Coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling the second insulating material layer to the first insulating material layer. The method includes forming an aperture in the first semiconductor device and a portion of the second semiconductor device, forming a liner in the aperture, and removing a portion of the liner. The aperture in the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device is filled with a conductive material to form a through-via coupled between the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising: coupling a first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device, wherein the first semiconductor device includes a conductive shield coupled to a substrate of the first semiconductor device; forming an aperture in the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device proximate the conductive shield of the first semiconductor device; and filling the aperture in the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device with a conductive material to form a through-via.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling a first semiconductor device comprising a wafer, an integrated circuit die, or a plurality of integrated circuit dies to the second semiconductor device.
 9. The method according to claim 7, wherein coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling the first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device comprising a wafer, an integrated circuit die, or a plurality of integrated circuit dies.
 10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first semiconductor device comprises a first insulating material layer disposed thereon, wherein the second semiconductor device comprises a second insulating material layer disposed thereon, and wherein coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling the first insulating material layer of the first semiconductor device to the second insulating material layer of the second semiconductor device.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first insulating material layer or the second insulating material layer comprises a buried oxide (BOX) layer.
 12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the conductive shield is disposed in a conductive line layer or a conductive via layer of the first semiconductor device.
 13. The method according to claim 7, further comprising forming a liner within a portion of the aperture, before filling the aperture in the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device with the conductive material to form the through-via.
 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein forming the liner comprises forming an oxide material.
 15. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising: coupling a first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device; wherein the first semiconductor device includes a first substrate, a first conductive feature disposed over the first substrate, a first insulating material layer disposed over the first conductive feature, and a conductive shield coupled to the first substrate proximate the first conductive feature; wherein the second semiconductor device includes a second substrate, a second conductive feature disposed over the second substrate, and a second insulating material layer disposed over the second conductive feature; wherein coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling the second insulating material layer to the first insulating material layer; forming an aperture in the first semiconductor device and a portion of the second semiconductor device; forming a liner in the aperture; removing a portion of the liner; and filling the aperture in the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device with a conductive material to form a through-via coupled between the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature.
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the conductive shield comprises a first opening, and wherein the through-via extends through the first opening.
 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first conductive feature comprises a second opening, and wherein the through-via extends through the second opening.
 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein forming the aperture comprises forming an aperture wherein a bottom of the aperture is disposed on a surface of the second conductive feature.
 19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first semiconductor device comprises a plurality of first conductive features; wherein the second semiconductor device comprises a plurality of second conductive features; and wherein the method further comprises forming an aperture between each of the plurality of first conductive features and one of the plurality of second conductive features, and filling the apertures with the conductive material.
 20. The method according to claim 15, wherein forming the aperture comprises forming the aperture using a plasma etch process, and wherein the conductive shield reduces or prevents plasma-induced damage (PID) during the plasma etch process.
 21. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising: coupling a first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device; wherein the first semiconductor device includes a first substrate, a first conductive feature disposed over the first substrate, a first insulating material layer disposed over the first conductive feature, and an annular conductive shield coupled to the first substrate proximate the first conductive feature; wherein the second semiconductor device includes a second substrate, a second conductive feature disposed over the second substrate, and a second insulating material layer disposed over the second conductive feature; wherein coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling the second insulating material layer to the first insulating material layer; forming an aperture in the first semiconductor device and a portion of the second semiconductor device, the aperture passing through an opening in the annular conductive shield; forming a liner in the aperture; removing a portion of the liner; and filling the aperture in the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device with a conductive material to form a through-via coupled between the first conductive feature and the second conductive feature.
 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling a first semiconductor device comprising a wafer, an integrated circuit die, or a plurality of integrated circuit dies to the second semiconductor device.
 23. The method according to claim 21, wherein coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling the first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device comprising a wafer, an integrated circuit die, or a plurality of integrated circuit dies.
 24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the first semiconductor device comprises a first insulating material layer disposed thereon, wherein the second semiconductor device comprises a second insulating material layer disposed thereon, and wherein coupling the first semiconductor device to the second semiconductor device comprises coupling the first insulating material layer of the first semiconductor device to the second insulating material layer of the second semiconductor device.
 25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the first insulating material layer or the second insulating material layer comprises a buried oxide (BOX) layer.
 26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the aperture passes through an opening in the first conductive feature. 